Direct Democracy

In less than a week, Californians from across the state will meet in Torrance for a deliberative poll on important issues facing the Golden State. When asked why the deliberative poll matters, Asian America Action Fund Executive Director Gautam Dutta explained that, "for the first time in a long time, we are actually asking everyday Californians for their commonsense advice on how to fix the state's problems."

It’s been noted repeatedly, on this site and by many others, that California’s policy challenges are compounded by the system of politics and governance that is “outmoded” and “broken.”  But what, exactly, does that mean?  

On Election Day, I intend to stand reluctantly with the majority of my fellow Californians — on the sidelines and as far as from the voting booth as possible.

Who should prevail in a popularity contest featuring several choices? Should one measure depth or breadth of support?

Gov. Jerry Brown's budget proposals to realign local services and redevelopment are a great public service. Not because they represent deep change – they don't – but because they expose the broad and bipartisan consensus against any meaningful overhaul of California's broken governing system.

The broad opposition to Brown's redevelopment and realignment arguments illustrates the extent to which our state has acclimated itself to the afterworld of Proposition 13, even though it robs us of our ability to govern ourselves democratically and condemns our children to a shabbier life.

As bad as things are with state government in California, remember this: There's plenty of opportunity to make things worse.

For evidence, look no further than the nine initiatives on November's ballot. Each measure illustrates some aspect of the state's crisis of governance. And many of the initiatives threaten to deepen it.

This is the peculiar hell of California now: The establishment of even worthwhile policy ideas is risky because they must be constructed on the toxic sand that is the state's governing system.

KHARTOUM, Sudan—"You see my home? You see my situation?" the chief from Tonj in southern Sudan asked me. Six wooden sticks were the sturdiest part of a shack that housed the chief and about 20 of his people in one of Khartoum's poorest suburbs. Woven grass and bamboolike material formed a roof that rain would pour straight through. There were no walls. Children between about 2 and 10 years old approached me cautiously, giggling when they came close. Several had orange-tinged hair, a sign of malnourishment. None were in school.

California is mired in perpetual budget crisis and its government is paralyzed by partisan gridlock. Groups across the political spectrum are pushing reforms, with some even calling for a constitutional convention. Frustrated Californians know something is wrong, but not what's broken and how it can be fixed.

Are you tired of California's dysfunctional government? Sick of worrying about our perennial money woes? Has your trust in government reached rock bottom?

Well, then, there's only one thing to do: Join a movement to give elected officials more power.

That's right. You read that correctly. You may have a burning desire to throw the bums out or, at the very least, to take away as much of their power as you can, but the only way to fix the system is to do exactly the opposite: Empower elected officials, let them do their jobs, and then hold them accountable.